Method for braiding hair

ABSTRACT

A method is provided for braiding hair, the method comprising retrieving a plurality of hair bundles, each hair bundle being bound with hair from the hair bundle, and wherein each hair bundle comprises a substantially similar number of strands of hair. A person implementing the method then identifies a plurality of groupings of hair at a user&#39;s scalp to be braided and initiates a braid at the user&#39;s scalp by passing a first of the plurality of groupings of hair over the other of the plurality of groupings and then passing each remaining grouping of the plurality of groupings over each of the other of the plurality of groupings at least once.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/960,336, filed on Jan. 13, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for braiding or otherwise tying hair, particularly a method for incorporating hair bundles into braids without knotting the hair bundles at a user's scalp.

BACKGROUND

Traditionally, in order to incorporate artificial hair into a braid, a person would purchase hair packs as shown, for example, in FIG. 1, and divide the hair in the packs into an appropriate number of hair bundles, brush the hair extensively to remove tangles and smooth the hair, and then apply the hair bundles at the scalp of the person whose hair is being braided.

The divided hair bundles are typically applied using either a rubber band method, in which each hair bundle is grouped with a rubber band and is then applied to the roots of the wearer, or the bundle of hairs is separated, brushed, and then wrapped around the root of the wearer's hair in order to incorporate it into the braid starting at the roots. In order to ensure that the hair stays tight, it must be stretched constantly.

Each of these approaches is time consuming and results in excessively bulky connections between the separate hair bundles being incorporated and the natural hair of the wearer. This is shown, for example, in FIG. 2. As a result, wearers deliberately tighten their hair so that the connections are at the roots or as close to the roots as possible. This approach results in a bulky connection that is less visible and that is painful to apply due to the requirement that the braid be so tight.

Where users incorporate the hair bundles into a braid after beginning the braid, the connection between the hair bundle and the user's natural hair is excessively bulky. Accordingly, users typically tie these braids as tightly as possible.

Further, because of the difficulty of tightly applying these braids while constantly stretching them, they are typically applied by third parties, typically professional beauticians.

Finally, the entire process described, including separating the bundle of hair into groupings, brushing the hair extensively, and then properly applying them to a user's scalp while constantly stretching the hair is time consuming. The separation of the user's hair is typically done entirely in advance in order to ensure even groupings of hair across the user's scalp. A user's natural hair divided into sections prior to applying braids is shown, for example, in FIG. 3.

The dividing of a user's natural hair into groupings typically takes 45 minutes to an hour. Separately, the hair packs are divided into the required bundles, typically taking several hours for the amount of hair used for a normal set of braids.

In order to simplify the dividing of hair packs, hair may be divided on a dividing rack by a beautician prior to incorporating it into the user's hair. Such a rack is shown, for example, in FIG. 4.

There is a need for a simplified braiding method in which hair can be removed from packaging and applied directly to a user's hair without requiring that the user's hair be pre-divided. There is a further need for such a method in which the hair bundles need not be individually brushed free from tangles by an end user, and wherein the bundles can be more easily incorporated into a braid without adding excess bulk at an attachment point.

SUMMARY

A method is provided for braiding hair, the method comprising retrieving a plurality of hair bundles, each hair bundle being bound with hair from the hair bundle, and wherein each hair bundle comprises a substantially similar number of strands of hair. A person implementing the method then identifies a plurality of groupings of hair at a user's scalp to be braided and initiates a braid at the user's scalp by passing a first of the plurality of groupings of hair over the other of the plurality of groupings and then passing each remaining grouping of the plurality of groupings over each of the other of the plurality of groupings at least once.

After beginning a braid using groupings of the user's natural hair, a person implementing the method incorporates at least one of the plurality of hair bundles into the braid and continues the braid with the additional hair.

In some embodiments, the plurality of hair bundles are retrieved from packaging, and the packing contains the plurality of hair bundles each independently bound with hair from the corresponding bundle. In such embodiments, prior to being located in the packaging, a larger bundle of hair is divided into the bundles and each of the bundles are then independently bound and prepared for incorporation into a braid. Such preparation for incorporating into a braid may include brushing the bundle and stretching the hair to smooth the hair and remove tangles.

In some embodiments, the hair bundles are made of artificial hair while the groupings of hair at the user's scalp comprise real human hair, such as the user's natural hair. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the hair bundles comprise real human hair as well.

In some embodiments, prior to incorporating the bundle of hair into a braid, each bundle is folded in half at a binding location.

After completing a first braid, a person implementing the method may identify a second plurality of groupings of hair at the user's scalp to be braided and initiating a second braid at the user's scalp by braiding the second plurality of groupings and incorporating at least a second of the plurality of hair bundles into the braid.

The user described herein is typically a person whose hair is being braided. Accordingly, the braids are being applied to the user's scalp and often involve the user's natural hair. The person implementing the method may be the user's herself, or it may be a stylist applying braids to the user's scalp.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a large bundle of hair as provided in a traditional hair pack.

FIG. 2 shows the application of a hair bundle at the root of a user's natural hair.

FIG. 3 shows a user's hair and scalp prepared for application of hair bundles to a root of the user's natural hair.

FIG. 4 shows a rack used for dividing and preparing bundles of hair under the traditional methods.

FIG. 5A shows divided bundles of hair for use in the method of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5B shows divided bundles of hair for use in the method of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows an individual bundle of hair from the divided bundle of hair of FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B.

FIG. 7 shows a user preparing a section of the user's scalp and natural hair for incorporation of the individual bundle of hair of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows a user initiating a braid at a user's scalp.

FIG. 9 shows the incorporation of a bundle of hair into a braid.

FIG. 10 shows the continued braiding of the hair with the hair bundle incorporated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

This disclosure describes the best mode or modes of practicing the invention as presently contemplated. This description is not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but provides an example of the invention presented solely for illustrative purposes by reference to the accompanying drawings to advise one of ordinary skill in the art of the advantages and construction of the invention. In the various views of the drawings, like reference characters designate like or similar parts.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show divided bundles of hair for use in the method of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows an individual bundle of hair from the divided bundle of hair of FIG. 5.

As shown, the bundles of hair 500 a, b, c are divided prior to retrieving of the hair by a user. Accordingly, in implementing a method for braiding hair, a user may first retrieve a plurality of hair bundles 500 a, b, c, each such bundle containing the correct amount to prevent tangling and for use in a braid. As shown, each bundle is bound with a binding element 510. Typically, the binding element is hair from the hair bundle.

Further, each of the hair bundles 500 a, b, c are provided with similar numbers of strands of hair such that each of the divided bundles of hair are approximately the same size.

In order to facilitate the braiding of the hair bundles 500 a, b, c, prior to being located in the packaging, a larger bundle of hair is divided into the plurality of bundles. Each of the bundles 500 a, b, c is then independently bound and prepared for incorporation into a braid. The preparation of the bundles 500 a, b, c, may include brushing each bundle prior to packaging in order to smooth the hair and remove tangles.

FIG. 7 shows a user preparing a section of the user's 700 scalp and natural hair for incorporation of the individual bundle of hair of FIG. 6. As shown, a section 710 of the user's 700 hair is divided out and designated for braiding. This section will be approximately equal to previously designated sections 720 which have already been tied into braids 730.

The section 710 is then divided into a plurality of groupings of hair at the user's 700 scalp to be braided. For example, the section 710 may be divided into three groupings of hair.

FIG. 8 shows the initiation of a braiding process using three groupings of hair 800 a, b, c to be used. As shown, the user 700 or a beautician applying the braid to the user's hair would initiate a braid at the user's 700 scalp. This would be by passing a first 800 a of the plurality of groupings of hair over the other of the plurality of groupings of hair 800 b, c, followed by a passing of each of the remaining groupings of hair over the other groupings in turn.

For example, when the section 710 of the user's 700 hair has been divided into three groupings 800 a, b, c, a first grouping 800 a would be passed over a second 800 b and third 800 c groupings, the second grouping 800 b would then be passed over the first 800 a and third 800 c grouping, and the third grouping 800 c would then be passed over the first 800 a and second 800 b grouping. In this way, a braid would be initiated.

As shown in FIG. 9, once the braid is initiated, the bundle of hair 500 a is incorporated into the braid. In doing so, the bundle of hair 500 a would be divided into the same number of groupings as in the braid, and each such grouping would be paired with the groupings of the user's hair. In this way, the bundle of hair 500 a would be incorporated into the section 710 of the user's 700 hair for future iterations of the braiding process.

As shown, in some embodiments, prior to incorporating the bundle of hair 500 a into a braid, the bundle is folded in half at a binding location 510.

FIG. 10 shows the continued braiding of the user's 700 hair once the bundle of hair 500 a is incorporated.

Further, after completing a braid 730 incorporating the bundle of hair 500 a, the method continues by dividing out an additional section 710 for dividing into groupings of hair and braiding. Accordingly, a second of the hair bundles 500 b would be incorporated into the additional section 710.

In some embodiments, each of the plurality of bundles of hair 500 a, b, c may comprise artificial hair, such that the bundles of hair 500 a, b, c, and the groupings of the section 710 of the user's 700 hair are real human hair. In other embodiments, the bundles 500 a, b, c may also comprise real human hair.

While the present invention has been described at some length and with some particularity with respect to the several described embodiments, it is not intended that it should be limited to any such particulars or embodiments or any particular embodiment, but it is to be construed with references to the appended claims so as to provide the broadest possible interpretation of such claims in view of the prior art and, therefore, to effectively encompass the intended scope of the invention. Furthermore, the foregoing describes the invention in terms of embodiments foreseen by the inventor for which an enabling description was available, notwithstanding that insubstantial modifications of the invention, not presently foreseen, may nonetheless represent equivalents thereto. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for braiding hair comprising: retrieving a plurality of hair bundles, each hair bundle being bound with hair from the hair bundle, wherein each hair bundle comprises a substantially similar number of strands of hair; identifying a plurality of groupings of hair at a user's scalp to be braided; initiating a braid at the user's scalp by passing a first of the plurality of groupings of hair over the other of the plurality of groupings and then passing each remaining grouping of the plurality of groupings over each of the other of the plurality of groupings at least once; incorporating at least one of the plurality of hair bundles into the braid and continuing the braid with the additional hair.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hair bundles are retrieved from packaging, wherein the packaging contains the plurality of hair bundles each independently bound with hair from the corresponding bundle.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein prior to being located in the packaging, a larger bundle of hair is divided into the plurality of bundles and wherein each of the plurality of bundles is independently bound and prepared for incorporation into a braid.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein prior to being located in the packaging, each of the plurality of bundles is brushed to smooth the hair and remove tangles.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hair bundles each comprise artificial hair, and wherein the groupings of hair at the user's scalp comprise real human hair.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hair bundles each comprise real human hair.
 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising folding the at least one hair bundle in half at a binding location prior to incorporating it into the braid.
 8. The method of claim 1 further comprising completing the braid using the at least one of the plurality of hair bundles, identifying a second plurality of groupings of hair at the user's scalp to be braided, and initiating a second braid at the user's scalp by braiding the second plurality of groupings and incorporating at least a second of the plurality of hair bundles into the braid. 